Units for weighting Gemstones Home > Gemstones > Units for weighting Gemstones Units for weighting Gemstones Carat This weight is used in the gems trade since ancient times. The name is derived from the seed (kuara) of the African Coral tree or from the kernel (Greek-kertion) of the Carob bean. Since 1907, Europe as well as America, have adopted the metric carat of 200 mg. or 0.2g. Therefore weights given for famous old diamonds often vary because local carats and not metric carats were used. The carat is subdivided into fraction (1/10 ct) or decimals (1.25ct) up to two decimal places. Small diamonds are weighed in "points" = 1/100 cts. (=0.01 cts.). The table below illustrates diameter and corresponding carat weight for diamonds cut in the modern brilliant cut. Gems with different specific gravities and different cuts obviously have different diameters. The carat weight of gems is not to be confused with the karat used by goldsmith. In the case of gold, the karat is not a weight measure, but shows purity.

The higher the karatage, the higher is the content of gold in the piece of Jewellery. The weight can differ Gram Gemstone Size and Weight Gemstone Size and Weight Carat A carat, as a unit of weight, originally comes from the Arabic qirat which was roughly the weight of 4 grains and was traditionally used to weigh small amounts. Dictionary Definition A unit of weight in gemstones, 200 milligrams (about 3 grains of troy or avoirdupois weight). Abbreviation: c., ct. Originally, carats weights were only used to measure diamonds but carats have now become the accepted unit of measurement for gemstones as well. The weight of a gemstone does not necessarily correspond to its size. The reason for this is that difference gemstones have different densities. A one carat round cut ruby will not have exactly the same measurements as a one carat round cut sapphire or emerald because of their different relative densities. Carat Total Weight Total carat weight (cttw) is the weight of all the gemstones in an item of jewelry added together. Definition courtesy of Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ï¿½ Random House, Inc. 2006.

How to Calculate the Carat Weight of Gems How to Calculate the Carat Weight of Gems Carat Weight Calculator Gem Weight: In gemology, the weight of precious stones are measured in units called carats. Carat may be subdivided into units called points, where a point is 1/100 of a carat. Jewelers and gemologists use the abbreviation ct for carats. As a weight, the carat is a metric unit equal to 200 milligrams or equivalently 1/5 of a gram. A point is 2 milligrams. If you need to convert between ounces and carats, use the relations 1 oz = 141.74761562 ct, and 0.00705479239 oz = 1 ct. NOTE: The gemological definition of carat should not be confused with the metallurigical definition of carat . Jewelers rate the purity of gold, silver, and platinum with the carat (or karat) scale.

The scale ranges from 1 to 24, with 24k being the purest and 1k being the least pure.) How to Weigh Gemstones to Find the Carat You can use a finely calibrated digital scale to weigh a single precious stone or pearl, or many gems in bulk. Milligram scales can detect the weight of very light objects such as gemstones and will display the weight in milligrams. To convert this number to carats, divide it by 200. For example, a large emerald taken out of its setting may weigh 125 mg. This is equivalent to 125/200 ct = 0.625 ct. In points, this is equal to 62.5 points. You can use the calculator above to convert weights from milligrams, grams, or ounces to carats and points. According to the Gemological Institute of America, the carat weight of a precious stone is one of the "Four C's" in gem appraisal. The other three factors that determine a gemstone's value are cut, clarity, and color. In diamonds, the cut and and clarity of a gem are just as important as its size.

Colored diamonds are much rarer than white diamonds; a yellow or pink diamond costs much more than a similarly sized white diamond. © Had2Know 2010 Gemstone Carat Weight Estimation Calculator CALCULATORS and CONVERTERS | Back Gemstone Carat Weight Estimation Calculator This calculator requires the use of Javascript enabled and capable browsers. This script calculates weight conversions between grams of weight and carats, points, kilograms and milligrams. Carats, abbreviated "ct." and spelled with a "c", is a measure of weight used for gemstones. The carat weight was standardized in the 20th century. The United States officially adopted the metric carat in 1913. One carat = .2 grams or 200 milligrams, equal to 1/5 of a gram. Stones are measured to the nearest hundredth of a carat. A hundreth of a carat is also called a point. Thus a .10 carat stone can be called either 10 points, or 1/10 of a carat. Small stones like .05, and .10ct are most often referred to by point designations.

The spelling of karat with a "K" is a measure of the purity of a gold alloy, as opposed to stones. A one carat round diamond of average proportions is approximately 6.5mm in diameter. Be aware that this unique relationship of weight and size is different for each family of stones. For example ruby and sapphire gems are both heavier than a diamond; technically, they have a higher specific gravity, so a 1 carat ruby or sapphire is smaller in size than a one carat diamond. However, I never met a carat I didn't like! Select the particular stone and cut. Enter the values and click on Calculate. Required Data Entry GIA 4Cs Carat Weight GemKids GIA 4Cs Carat Weight Diamonds and other gemstones are weighed in metric carats: one carat is equal to 0.2 grams, about the same weight as a paperclip. (Don’t confuse carat with karat, as in “18K gold,” which refers to gold purity.) Just as a dollar is divided into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points.

For example, a 50-point diamond weighs 0.50 carats. But two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values depending on the other members of the Four C’s: clarity, color and cut. The majority of diamonds used in fine jewelry weigh one carat or less. Because even a fraction of a carat can make a considerable difference in cost, precision is crucial. In the diamond industry, weight is often measured to the hundred thousandths of a carat, and rounded to a hundredth of a carat. Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals. (For instance, a 1.08 ct. stone would be described as “one point oh eight carats,” or “one oh eight.”) How did the carat system start? The carat, the standard unit of weight for diamonds and other gemstones, takes its name from the carob seed. Because these small seeds had a fairly uniform weight, early gem traders used them as counterweights in their balance scales. The modern metric carat, equal to 0.2 grams, was adopted by the United States in 1913 and other countries soon after.

Today, a carat weighs exactly the same in every corner of the world. How To Read a Gem Hut - General Information General Information General Information Gemstone Value The value of a gemstone is directly related to it's rarity. The size or weight of the stone, it's color and clarity are all valued ultimately on rarity. Colorless diamonds for example, are valued more highly than yellow or brown diamonds, simply because colorless diamonds are more rare. Larger stones are valued higher than smaller stones, simply because larger stones are harder to find than smaller, and generally are more costly per carat. Supply and demand also have an effect on value. Many gemstones are found only in places where the climate (physical, economical and political) is hostile or unstable. This directly affects supply, and as a supply of a gemstone dwindles, it becomes harder to find. Photographs and descriptions. We make every attempt to ensure that the photographs and descriptions of gemstones are as accurate as possible, however no photographic process is perfect. The photographs however, cannot hope to match the beauty of seeing the gemstone in person. What this means, is that if the gemstone looks good here, it will look great when it arrives at your door.

The gemstones as pictured are not to scale. Color and clarity grading. As part of the description, most of the gemstones listed have a description of it's color and clarity. Color is described in terms of tone (brightness), saturation and one of 31 hue descriptions as used by the GIA . Tones (shown here in blue) are described as: Colorless Light Dark Saturation (shown here in blue) is an indication of how "strong" or "vivid" a color is. Saturation is listed as: Gray The term "Brownish" can be substituted for "Grayish" with colors of a orangish hue: Brown Bluish Violet Red Some exceptions to these hue descriptions are made with gemstones that are brownish, or pinkish. Orangy pinkish is sometimes described as "peachy". Clarity is a subjective term, however the following is how we describe clarity: Opaque, meaning the stone will not transmit light through it. Translucent, or cloudy, meaning that the stone transmits light, but you cannot see clearly through it. Heavily Included, meaning that the stone is transparent, but the stone is littered with inclusions, which are very visible without magnification.

Moderately Included, meaning that the stone is transparent, but there are several inclusions, which are visible without magnification. Slightly Included, meaning that the stone has some very minor inclusions which may be visible without magnification. Very Slightly Included, or eye-clean, meaning that the stone has some very minor inclusions that are not readily visible without magnification. Some inclusions may be visible without magnification once you see them under magnification and know exactly where to look. Very Very Slightly Included, meaning that the stone has some very very minor inclusions which are difficult to see under magnification. Loupe clean, or clean, meaning that no inclusions were seen using 10x magnification. However the stone was not examined microscopically. The stone may be internally flawless or flawless. Internally Flawless, meaning that the stone was examined under a microscope of at least 40x magnification, and no inclusions were seen. The stone has some external blemishes. Flawless, meaning that the stone was examined under a microscope of at least 40x magnification, and no inclusions were seen and stone has no external blemishes.

Gemstone Certificates Unlike diamond certificates, which have an international certification standard ( GIA ), there is no corresponding internationally recognized certification for colored gemstones. We don't issue certificates with the gemstones we sell. We do guarantee that a gemstone is what we say it is, and we guarantee it's quality. You are free to take any gemstone purchased to a qualified gemologist to have it evaluated, and return it for a refund within 15 days of its receipt if you are not satisfied. If we issued certificates, we would have to pass the cost onto you. If you are purchasing a gemstone as an investment , and plan to try to resell it later, then you can have it certified yourself. We leave the choice up to you. 10. Diamond Inclusion, an inclusion within a gemstone is an internal flaw, or included crystal, bubble, cloud, graining, fracture, etc.. Inclusions are differnt from blemishs, which are imperfections at the surface of the gemstone. Inclusions are not always bad. Inclusions can be used like a finger print, to identify diamonds and other valuable gemstones.

Inclusions can often be used to tell the difference between natural and synthetic gemstones, and in some types of gemstones, the inclusion can even pinpoint the source of the natural stone. In some cases, inclusions can actually increase the brilliance of a gemstone. Beware of emeralds and rubies which do not contain inclusions, as these are extremely rare, and are probably synthetic. Karat (K or Kt.), a measure of the amount of gold present in a gold alloy, expressed in 1/24ths. An alloy under 10 Kt. gold is not legally called gold in the U.S. (9 Kt. in England). The number in parentheses in the table below indicates a marking that is found on some foreign manufactured jewelry, expressed in thousandths. 10 kt. is 10/24 or 41.60% gold (416). 12 kt. is 12/24 or 50.00% gold (500). 14 kt. is 14/24 or 58.33% gold (585). 18 kt.

is 18/24 or 75.00% gold (750). 24 kt. is 24/24 or 100% "solid" gold (usually 99.999%). Kilogram (kg.), a unit of weight equivalent to 1000 grams, or 2.2046226 pounds (avoirdupois), or 32.150737 troy ounces. Loupe, a small magnifying lens, usually 10x magnification. Melee, also known as an accent stone, a small round gemstone, usually less than 4mm in diameter. Melee stones are placed around a larger center gemstone to accent it, and make the center stone or jewelry piece appear larger. Melee diamonds may have fewer facets than a standard round brilliant cut. Millimeter (mm.), a measure of distance in the Metric system. 1 inch is defined as 25.4 millimeters. The metric system is the standard used in the jewelry industry, by gemologists, and by science worldwide. For more information, consult our metric conversion information .

Ounce (oz.), a particularly confusing set of units, used to measure weight and volume. There are two versions of ounces for weight, troy (also called apothecaries) and avoirdupois (common ounce). There are also two versions of the fluid ounce, used to measure volume, the british fluid ounce, and the U.S. fluid ounce. To add to the confusion, a troy pound is 12 troy ounces, whereas the avoirdupois (common pound) is 16 avoirdupois ounces. When measuring the weights of precious metals, the troy ounce is the standard used. Pennyweight (dwt.), a measure of weight, used to weigh precious metals. 1 pennyweight is equivalent to 1/20 ounce (troy), or 24 grains, or 1.55517384 grams, or 7.7758692 carats. Point, unit of weight. One (1) point is equivalent to 0.01 (1/100) carats. The term point should not be confused with the number of facets that a gemstone may have.

Precious Stones, an obsolete term which generally is used to refer to diamond, emerald, sapphire or ruby. Semi-precious Stones, also an obsolete term used to describe gemstones which are not diamond emerald, sapphire or ruby. These terms are misleading as many "semi-precious" gemstones are extremely valuable, and some "precious" gemstones are of such poor quality that their value is very low. Troy Ounce, a unit of weight, used to measure precious metals and gemstones. One (1) troy ounce is equivalent to 1.0971429 ounces (avdp.), or 31.103486 grams, or 155.51743 carats, or 20 pennyweight (dwt) or 480 grains. Troy Pound, a unit of weight, equivalent to 12 troy ounces. Pearls and Other Organic Gemstones Pearl Our trade is solely in gemstones and some precious metals. We do not deal in any substance that is of organic origin, such as pearls, amber, coral, shells and ivory.

Several organic gems are illegal and environmentally unethical to sell, and we prefer to stay away from all organic "gems". Convert grams g into carats (gemstones mass unit) ct SI weight and mass for culinary practise Amount: 1 gram (g) in mass Equals: 5.00 carats (gemstones mass unit) (ct SI) weight and mass from gram to carat (gemstones mass unit) Conversion Results: Enter a New gram Amount of weight and mass to Convert From * Whole numbers, decimals or fractions (ie: 6, 5.33, 17 3/8) * Precision is how many numbers after decimal point (1 - 9) Enter Your Amount : Decimal Precision : Calculate carats (gemstones mass unit) in weight and mass per 1 gram unit. The weight and mass kitchen measuring units converter for culinary chefs, bakers and other professionals. CONVERT : between other weight and mass measuring units - complete list. Conversion calculator for webmasters . Mass Weight and Density measuring units Main weight, mass and densities multi-units conversion page.

Convert weight and mass culinary measuring units between gram (g) and carats (gemstones mass unit) (ct SI) but in the other direction from carats (gemstones mass unit) into grams also as per weight and mass units. Culinary arts school: weight and mass units converter This online culinary weight and mass measures converter, from g into ct SI units, is a handy tool not only for experienced certified professionals in food businesses and skilled chefs in state of the industry's kitchens model. Other applications of this weight and mass units converter are ... With the above mentioned units converting service it provides, this weight and mass units converter also proved to be useful as a teaching tool and for practising grams and carats (gemstones mass unit) ( g vs. ct SI ) conversion exercises by new culinarians and students (in classrooms or at home based kitchens) who have been learning this particular cooking mastery art in culinary colleges, in schools of culinary arts and all other kinds of culinary training for converting the weight and mass cooking units measures. Unit symbols used by international culinary educational institutions and training for these two weight and mass unit measurements are: Prefix or abbreviation ( abbr.

) brevis - short unit symbol for gram is: g Prefix or abbreviation ( abbr. short brevis ) unit symbol for carat (gemstones mass unit) is: ct SI One gram in weight and mass sense converted to carats (gemstones mass unit) equals precisely to 5.00 ct SI How many carats (gemstones mass unit) of weight and mass system are in 1 gram? The answer is: The change of 1 g ( gram ) unit for a weight and mass measure equals = into 5.00 ct SI ( carat (gemstones mass unit) ) as per its equivalent weight and mass unit type measure often used. Professional people always ensure, and their success in fine cooking depends on, they get the most precise units conversion results in measuring their ingredients. In speciality cooking an accurate weight and mass unit measure can be totally crucial. If there is an exact measure in g - grams used in weight and mass units, it's the rule in culinary career, that the gram number gets converted into ct SI - carats (gemstones mass unit) for the weight and mass absolutely exactly.

It's like an insurance for the master chef for having always all the meals created perfectly, using either grams unit or carats (gemstones mass unit) unit measures. Oven info & galleries Weights Carat The carat is used to measure the weight of diamonds and other gemstones. Since 1st April 1914 a carat has been standardised as 1/5 of a gram. It is sometimes called a metric carat. There are, or were, 4 grains per carat, although this appears to be an rough approximation used by gem dealers. As there are 5 carats per gram, this would make a gram equal to 20 diamond grains, whereas the correct figure is 15.4323 (-480/31.1035). Perhaps gem dealers were using wheat grains instead of barley grains, although even this is only an approximation. Because diamonds and other gemstones are expensive, it is necessary to use subdivisions of the carat. It is usually subdivided and recorded to 2 decimal places, a hundredth of a carat is known in rather unmathematical trade jargon as a "point".

Half a carat is therefore written .50 carats or 0.50 carats, and would be referred to as 50 points. In ancient times, there were various values for the carat, which ranged from 0.1885 to 0.2135 grams. Gram A gram or gramme is a standard metric unit of weight. There are obviously 1000 grams per kilogram. In 1960, the ISO confirmed the IS unit system which was based upon the existing MKS (Metres, Kilograms, and Seconds) system. The kilogram was defined as the weight of the International Prototype made of platinum and iridium which is held at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sèvres in France. One kilogram is equivalent to 2.204622 avoirdupois pounds. Grain An ancient unit which was originally based on the weight of a grain of wheat. The grain is the smallest unit of weight in the avoirdupois, troy, and apothecaries systems. Surprisingly it is identical in all three systems.

There are, or were, 4 grains per carat, although this appears to be an rough approximation used by gem dealers. As there are 5 carats per gram, this would make a gram equal to 20 diamond grains, whereas the correct figure is 15.4323 (-480/31.1035). Perhaps gem dealers were using wheat grains instead of barley grains, although even this is only an approximation. 24 grains =1 pennyweight 480 grains = 1 troy ounce 5760 grains = 1 troy pound 437.5 grains = 1 ounce avoirdupois 7000 grains = 1 pound avoirdupois 1 grain = 0.0648 grams (0.06479891) 15.432 grains = 1 gram Grain Although we have stated above that the grain weighted the same in all three of the above systems, there were at least two different grains. The troy system used the supposed weight of the barley grain, whereas the wheat grain was also used as a standard of weight. There were three barley grains to four wheat grains.

Momme A unit of weight previously used in Japan to weigh pearls. 75 grains = momme 3.75 grams = 1 momme Dram or Drachm An ancient unit of weight, also a Greek coin. It is believed to have originally meant the amount which one could hold in one's hand. 16 drams = 1 ounce avoirdupois 8 drams = 1 ounce apothecaries 1 dram (avoirdupois) = 27.34375 grains 1 dram (avoirdupois)= 1.772 grams 1 dram (apothecaries) = 60 grains Therefore:- 1 dram apothecaries = 2.194286 drams avoirdupois Imperial System A British system developed and refined from the earlier Roman systems used in Britain during the middle ages. In 1824 the troy pound was defined or confirmed. In 1863 the Imperial or avoirdupois pound was redefined as 0.45359237 kilograms.

20 stones avoirdupois = 1 ton avoirdupois 14 pounds avoirdupois = 1 stone avoirdupois 16 ounces avoirdupois = 1 pound avoirdupois 1 ounce avoirdupois = 28.349523 grams approx. 1 pound avoirdupois = 453.59237 grams 1 ton avoirdupois = 2240 pounds avoirdupois Troy A system historically used for measuring the weight of drugs, precious metals and gemstones. The name comes from the French city of Troyes. 480 grains = 1 ounce troy 31.1035 grams = 1 ounce troy 12 troy ounces = 1 troy pound 20 pennyweights (dwt) = 1 ounce troy 1 pound = 373.242 grams 1 pound = 5760 grains Pennyweight The pennyweight was the weight of a silver penny in medieval England.

When pennies were introduced in England in the 8th century, their original weight is believed to have been 24 grains. This was gradually reduced, in at least thirteen stages until it reached 7.27 grains by 1816. According to one knowledgeable source, the pennyweight was introduced by Henry III in 1266 as the weight of 32 grains of wheat. We believe this may simply have been clarifying and codifying an existing standard. 24 grains = 1 pennyweight 20 pennyweights = 1 ounce troy 240 pennyweights = 1 pound troy It is no coincidence that there were 240 pennies to the English pound , and 240 silver pennies were equivalent to a pound of silver, or that the word sterling applies both to the English pound and to a standard purity of silver. Tolas The tola is an old Indian unit of weight.

It was the equivalent of the silver rupee issued by the British East India Company, at 180 grains, which equate to 11.6638038 grams, so:- 180 grains = 1 tola 0.375 troy ounces = 1 tola Tower Pound The tower pound was also used for weighing coins, and possibly precious metals, until 1527. The tower pound weighed 5400 grains, equal to 225 pennyweights, making 11.25 troy ounces per tower pound. One source we have seen believes that the tower pound was named after Tower Hill, the site of the Royal Mint, but we believe it is from the Tower of London, from which Tower Hill also got its name. From about the tenth century, English silver pennies weighed 22.5 grains, and there were therefore 240 pennies per Tower pound. The Tower pound appears to have been the same as the previous Saxon pound, and simply underwent a change of name at some stage.

Long and Short Tons Webster's dictionary informs me that "2000 pound constitutes the common or "short" ton, while the "long" ton contains 2240 pounds". From this I presume that the Americans have a ton which contains only 2000 pound. Avoirdupoids or Avoirdupois? All the dictionaries I have checked give the spelling as "avoirdupois", whereas I thought, apparently incorrectly, that the correct spelling was avoirdupoids. the word is from French, literally meaning "to have weight". the French word for weight is poids, both from memory and confirmed by my copy of Harrap's New Shorter French Dictionary. Strangely, the English dictionaries consulted give its origin as from "pois" meaning weight, whereas my French dictionary, and memory, give "pois" as pea, in which case avoirdupois must mean "to have a pea"!

The avoirdupois pound was originally 7200 grains divided into 15 ounces each of 480 grains, but it was changed in Henry VIII's reign to 7000 grains divided into 16 ounces each of 437.5 grains. Fine Ounces Following this document's publication on the internet, we received an enquiry from L.L.F. of California:- "on the commodities market they quote metals in "fine ounces" what is that and how does it differ from say a troy ounce?" The simple answer is that "fine ounce" is a lazy or shorthand way of saying " a troy ounce of fine..." In this sense "fine" means pure.

One Pound = 240 Coins According to one well researched source, in mediaeval times, a pound often meant 240 coins, so that in England a pound would be 240 pennies, whereas in Venice it was possible to have a pound (lira di grosso) of large coins (grossi) consisting of 240 grossi, and this was worth 32 times the value of a pound (lira de piccioli) consisting of 240 small coins (one piccolo). The value and weight would have been proportional to each other. Uncia & Unciae The word ounce comes from the Latin word uncia (plural unciae), meaning one twelfth, therefore logically speaking there should always be 12 ounces per pound in any system using both weight names. In this respect, the troy system is superior to the avoirdupois system. Slugs A slug is a unit of mass equal to 14.5939029372064 kilogrammes, and is the official unit of mass in the Imperial system. Mass v.

Weight In this page, we have referred to weight and mass as being interchangeable as though they were the same. They are not, mass is a measurement of the amount of matter in an object. Weight is the force exerted by the mass of the object due to gravitational attraction. Trivia Quiz Questions There is an old conundrum "which is heavier, a ton of feathers or a ton of lead?". Obviously they both weigh the same, although I know which I would prefer to be hit by! Now you can use the above information to think up your own "pub quiz" questions, for example:- Which is heavier, an ounce of gold (or other precious metal) or an ounce of lead (or almost anything else)? The correct answer, of course, is the gold, because it is weighed in troy ounces. Which is heavier, a pound of gold (or other precious metal) or a pound of lead (or almost anything else)? The correct answer, of course, is the lead, because it is weighed in avoirdupois pounds.

You have 4 weights (or other article), one made of gold weighing 1 pound, one lead weighing 1 pound, 1 gold weighing 1 ounce, 1 lead weighing 1 ounce. Which of the four is the heaviest and which is the lightest? The correct answer is the lead 1 ounce weight is the lightest, and the lead 1 pound weight is the heaviest! If you win any bets with these, please remember to send our commission, 10% will do nicely! Confused About Weights? We hope the information above will have helped you, but if it has left you confused about weights, you may be interested to know that there were also:- London pound of 7200 grains = 15 troy ounces. Merchants pound of 6750 grains, in use from about 1270 to 1330. Another merchants pound of 7200 grains, used for a brief period. Wool pound of 6992 grains. Clove which was 7 avoirdupois pounds Stone which was 14 avoirdupois pounds.

Quarter which was 28 pounds, or a quarter of a hundredweight. A tod which was equivalent to a quarter, A hundredweight (abbreviated to cwt) which was 112 pounds. Butcher's stone of 8 pounds. Sack which was 364 pounds. Apothecaries weights in which an ounce was 480 grains as for troy measure, but with 8 drams or drachms per ounce, therefore a drachm was 60 grains. There were 3 scruples per drachm. Slinches are yet another measurement of weight. Sthenes too. A Confusion of Standards We suspect that each trade may have preferred to develop and use its own peculiar system of weights so as to exclude others, or at least to confuse them. In this case, the trade or profession which could invent the most obscure system would be able to gain the greatest advantage over others, hence the proliferation of obscure and confusing standards. This is similar to various occupations having their own jargon. While this may provide an effective method of concise communication within a particular occupation, it can also be used to add to the mystique surrounding that occupation.

Of all the above weight systems, it appears that the apothecaries system is by far the most confusing, perhaps we should conclude that they had the most reason to confuse or mislead their customers. In modern times lawyers probably win the prize for the most obscure jargon. It's perhaps as well that lawyers never developed a system of weights, but interesting that a pair of scales are used as a symbol of justice. What standards, we wonder, are used by judges and juries to weigh evidence? It is also interesting to note that while apothecaries claim to use scruples, lawyers appear to manage very well without them. Diamond Carat Weight Guide, ctw Diamond Carat Weight Guide Diamond Carat Weight Guide What is a Carat? A carat is the unit of weight used to measure diamonds and other precious gemstones, also known as the carat size or the diamond carat size. The term carat is derived from the Greek word keration, meaning carob beans. In the Mediterranean, carob beans were used for centuries to measure the weight of various goods. This is because carob seeds were thought to be uniform in size and weight.

In contrast, Asian markets used grains of rice to measure their goods and you may still hear some jewelers refer to a single carat diamond as a "four grainer" since one carat was once considered to be equal to the weight of four grains of rice. By the early 1900s, the carat size was standardized against the metric system and adopted internationally: 1 carat (1ct) is equal to .2 grams or .007 ounces. Smaller diamonds can also be measured in carat weight points. One carat is equal to 100 points; therefore a 0.25 carat diamond can also be referred to as a 25 point diamond. Does Carat Weight Determine Size? Contrary to popular belief, carat weight is not an accurate reflection of a diamond's size, the carat size. A diamond increases in weight much faster than it increases in diameter. While small round diamonds that have the same carat weight are almost indistinguishable in size, the heavier a diamond gets, the less predictable its size is.

In order to determine a diamond's size, the carat weight of the stone should be weighed in conjunction with the diamond's diameter in millimeters and the diamond's cut grade. The diamond's diameter measured in millimeters reflects the appearance of the diamond as seen from above once the stone is mounted. It is measured across the girdle of the stone, and does not incorporate the height of the pavilion. Some low carat diamonds with high grade cuts look larger than high carat diamonds with low grade cuts. Diamonds with higher cut grades reflect the maximum amount of light and generate the greatest fire and brilliance. This bright sparkle and intense luminescence can frequently cause the diamond to appear larger than it is, to create the impression of a large diamond carat size. Moreover, diamonds with lower cut grades can have long and deep pavilions that cause light to "leak out", dulling and muting the stone's radiance. These long pavilions may add weight to a diamond, but this weight is covered beneath the setting once the stone is mounted, making the diamond carat size appear much smaller. Viewers of diamonds such as these may be surprised by how small the stones appear in comparison to their carat weight.

Carat Weight and Price Diamond prices rise drastically with increase in carat weight. This is because only one in approximately one million diamonds mined produces a full cut and polished one carat diamond. During the cutting process, a great deal of rough diamond material is lost; up to 40-60 percent of rough diamond is shed. The larger diamond, the rarer the diamond, the more expensive. What Carat Weight Should I Choose? Every diamond wearer has different criteria regarding their diamond, popular carat sizes vary greatly. Some value diamond carat size over clarity, others value color over carat weight. At Zoara we believe that the most important things to consider are personal taste, budget, and for a diamond ring, the setting and size of the finger or hand of the wearer. Personal Taste: Decide which of the Four Cs is the most important to you. Some are sensitive to brilliance and sparkle more than size. Others prefer large vintage-style diamonds which are typically less radiant, but greater in carat size. Budget: If you are looking for a larger stone but you’re on a budget, you can try to maximize the appearance of the stone by investing in the stone's cut and choosing a brilliant shape.

You may instead prefer to invest in a stone of high carat weight but with lower clarity, color and cut grades. Choosing a large diamond carat size over a large carat weight Setting: Diamonds that are longer in shape such as a marquis, pear, or rectangular emerald, can create the illusion of a larger diamond. Also, if a diamond is mounted into a high-pronged setting such as the tiffany setting or the tall prong setting, it can make a stone look larger. Finally, adding side accent stones of low carat and lower quality can be an affordable way to enlarge the ring and total carat weight. Finger Size: Small diamonds appear larger on small hands and vice-versa. Large diamonds can look clumsy on small or slender fingers. For a woman with small and thin fingers, you may want to consider a diamond of lower carat weight and a lower carat size. Select Diamond Shape:

Question: What is the unit of weight used to measure gemstones?
Answer: Carat